Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1887. Oil on artist's board, mounted on cradled panel, 41 × 32.5 cm. Art Institute of Chicago.

Who was Vincent van Gogh?

Vincent Willem van Gogh was a renowned Dutch painter who gained immense fame and influence in the history of Western art after his death. Over a span of 10 years, he produced approximately 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, with the majority created in the last two years of his life. His diverse body of work consists of landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and self-portraits, characterized by vibrant colors and expressive brushstrokes that laid the foundations of modern art. Despite facing significant challenges in his career and struggling with severe depression and poverty, van Gogh's artistic contributions remain highly regarded. Tragically, he took his own life at the age of thirty-seven.

Van Gogh came from an affluent family and displayed a talent for drawing from a young age. He was described as serious, introverted, and thoughtful. As a young man, he worked as an art dealer and frequently traveled, but his mental state deteriorated after being transferred to London. Seeking solace, he turned to religion and spent time as a Protestant missionary in predominantly Catholic southern Belgium. He experienced periods of poor health and loneliness before taking up painting in 1881, returning to live with his parents. Throughout his artistic journey, van Gogh received financial support from his younger brother, Theo, with whom he maintained an extensive correspondence by letter. His early works primarily consisted of still lifes and depictions of peasant labor, displaying limited use of the vivid colors that would become characteristic of his later pieces. In 1886, he moved to Paris, where he encountered members of the avant-garde art movement, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were rebelling against Impressionism. As van Gogh's style developed, he revolutionized still lifes and local landscapes, employing increasingly vibrant colors. His artistic breakthrough came during his stay in Arles, in the South of France, in 1888, when his paintings became even more vibrant. He expanded his subject matter to include series of olive trees, wheat fields, and sunflowers.

Throughout his life, van Gogh battled psychotic episodes, delusions, and mental instability. Neglecting his physical well-being, he often failed to eat properly and relied heavily on alcohol. His friendship with Gauguin ended abruptly after a heated argument during which van Gogh mutilated part of his own left ear with a razor in a fit of rage. He spent time in psychiatric hospitals, including a period in Saint-Rémy. Eventually, he moved to the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise near Paris, under the care of the homeopathic doctor Paul Gachet. Despite receiving medical attention, van Gogh's depression persisted. On July 27, 1890, he is believed to have shot himself in the chest with a revolver, succumbing to his injuries two days later.

During his lifetime, van Gogh struggled to achieve commercial success and was regarded as a madman and failure. However, his posthumous rise to fame transformed him into a misunderstood genius in the eyes of the public. In the early 20th century, his artistic style influenced the Fauves and German Expressionists, further bolstering his reputation. Over the subsequent decades, van Gogh gained widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. Today, his paintings are among the most valuable and sought-after in the world, and his legacy is preserved and celebrated at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which houses the largest collection of his artworks.

Vincent van Gogh, Irises, 1889. Oil on canvas, 71×93 cm. Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Early years

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Groot-Zundert, a town in the mainly Catholic province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. His parents were Theodorus van Gogh, a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, and Anna Cornelia Carbentus. Van Gogh was named after his grandfather and a brother who was stillborn a year before his birth. The name Vincent was common in the Van Gogh family and had been carried by his grandfather, a well-known art dealer, as well as a theology graduate who may have been named after his own great-uncle, a sculptor.

Van Gogh's mother came from a prosperous family in The Hague, while his father was the youngest son of a minister. The couple met when Anna's younger sister married Theodorus's older brother. Van Gogh's parents married in May 1851 and settled in Zundert, where Vincent's brother Theo was born in 1857. They had another brother, Cor, and three sisters named Elisabeth, Anna, and Willemina (known as Wil). In later life, Vincent maintained contact only with Willemina and Theo. Van Gogh's mother was strict and devout, placing great importance on family values. His father's modest ministerial salary was supplemented by the Church, providing the family with a comfortable lifestyle, including a house, staff, and social standing.

As a child, van Gogh was serious and introspective. He received education at home from his mother and a governess before attending the village school in 1860. In 1864, he was sent to a boarding school in Zevenbergen, where he felt abandoned and longed to return home. Instead, in 1866, his parents enrolled him in a middle school in Tilburg, where he also experienced deep unhappiness. Van Gogh's interest in art emerged early on, encouraged by his mother, and his early drawings were expressive, although not yet displaying the intensity seen in his later works. At Tilburg, he was taught by Constant Cornelis Huijsmans, a former successful artist in Paris, who emphasized capturing impressions rather than technical skill. However, van Gogh's profound unhappiness seemed to overshadow the lessons, which had little impact. In March 1868, he abruptly returned home, later describing his youth as austere, cold, and sterile.

In July 1869, van Gogh's uncle helped secure him a position at the art dealers Goupil & Cie in The Hague. After completing his training in 1873, he was transferred to Goupil's London branch, where he found success and earned more than his father at the age of 20. This period was considered the best year of his life, according to his brother Theo's wife. Van Gogh developed an infatuation with his landlady's daughter, but his feelings were not reciprocated as she was already engaged. He grew increasingly isolated and devoutly religious. However, his dissatisfaction with the commercialization of art and other issues led to his dismissal from Goupil in Paris in c.1875.

In April 1876, van Gogh returned to England and worked as an unpaid supply teacher at a small boarding school in Ramsgate. When the school's proprietor relocated to Isleworth in Middlesex, van Gogh went along with him. However, the arrangement proved unsuccessful, prompting him to leave and become an assistant to a Methodist minister. Meanwhile, his parents had moved to Etten. During Christmas of 1876, he returned home and worked at a bookshop in Dordrecht for six months. Unhappy in his position, he spent his time doodling and translating Bible passages into English, French, and German. He became increasingly devout and devoted himself to Christianity. His flatmate at the time, Paulus van Görlitz, noted that van Gogh followed a frugal diet, avoiding meat.

In 1877, to support his religious convictions and aspirations of becoming a pastor, van Gogh went to live with his uncle Johannes Stricker, a respected theologian, in Amsterdam. He prepared for the theology entrance examination at the University of Amsterdam but failed the exam and left his uncle's house in July 1878. He then attempted a three-month course at a Protestant missionary school in Laken, near Brussels, but was unsuccessful.

In January 1879, van Gogh took up a missionary post in Petit-Wasmes, a working-class coal-mining district in Borinage, Belgium. In a show of solidarity with his impoverished congregation, he relinquished his comfortable lodgings in a bakery and moved to a small hut, where he slept on straw. His modest living conditions did not sit well with the church authorities, who accused him of undermining the priesthood's dignity and dismissed him. Subsequently, he walked the 75 kilometers (47 miles) to Brussels. After a brief return to Cuesmes in the Borinage, he yielded to pressure from his parents and went back home to Etten. He stayed there until approximately March 1880, causing concern and frustration for his parents, particularly his father, who even suggested he be committed to a mental asylum in Geel.

In August 1880, van Gogh returned to Cuesmes and lodged with a miner until October. Inspired by his brother Theo's suggestion to pursue art seriously, he began to take a keen interest in the people and surroundings of Cuesmes, capturing them in his drawings. Later that year, he traveled to Brussels to follow Theo's recommendation and study under the Dutch artist Willem Roelofs. Despite his initial aversion to formal art schools, Roelofs persuaded him to enroll at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts. In November 1880, van Gogh registered at the Académie, where he focused on studying anatomy, as well as the established principles of modeling and perspective.

Vincent van Gogh, Wheatfield with Crows, 1890. Oil on canvas, 50.5×103 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Etten, Drenthe and The Hague

In April 1881, van Gogh returned to his hometown of Etten and stayed with his parents for an extended period. During this time, he continued to draw, often using his neighbors as subjects. In August 1881, his widowed cousin, Cornelia "Kee" Vos-Stricker, who was older than him by seven years and had a young son, came to visit. Van Gogh was delighted and spent long walks with her. To everyone's surprise, he confessed his love to her and proposed marriage. However, she rejected his proposal with the firm response, "No, nay, never." After Kee returned to Amsterdam, van Gogh went to The Hague in an attempt to sell his paintings and to meet his second cousin, Anton Mauve, who was a successful artist and someone van Gogh aspired to become. Mauve invited him to return after a few months and suggested he work on charcoal and pastel drawings in the meantime. Van Gogh followed Mauve's advice and returned to Etten.

In late November 1881, van Gogh wrote a letter to Johannes Stricker, a relative, which he described to his brother Theo as an attack. Shortly after, he left for Amsterdam. However, Kee refused to meet him, and her parents expressed their disapproval of his persistence. In a moment of despair, van Gogh held his left hand in the flame of a lamp, expressing his desire to see Kee as long as he could endure the pain. He didn't remember the event clearly but believed that his uncle had extinguished the flame. Kee's father made it clear that her refusal should be respected and that they would not marry, mainly due to van Gogh's inability to support himself.

Mauve took van Gogh on as a student and introduced him to watercolor painting, which he worked on for the following month before returning home for Christmas. However, he had a disagreement with his father, refused to attend church, and left for The Hague. In January 1882, Mauve introduced him to oil painting and lent him money to set up a studio. Their relationship soured within a month, possibly due to disagreements about drawing from plaster casts. Van Gogh could only afford to hire people from the street as models, a practice that Mauve disapproved of. In June, van Gogh contracted gonorrhea and spent three weeks in the hospital. Shortly after, he painted in oils for the first time, using money borrowed from Theo. He was pleased with the results, spreading the paint generously, scraping it off the canvas, and working back into it with his brush.

By March 1882, Mauve began showing a cold attitude towards van Gogh, ceasing to respond to his letters. Mauve had discovered that van Gogh was living with an alcoholic prostitute named Clasina Maria "Sien" Hoornik and her young daughter. Van Gogh had met Sien at the end of January 1882 when she had a five-year-old daughter and was pregnant, although he was unaware of her previous children who had died. On July 2, Sien gave birth to a baby boy named Willem. When van Gogh's father learned about the relationship and the two children, he pressured his son to abandon Sien and her children. Initially, van Gogh resisted his father's demands and contemplated moving the family away from the city. However, in late 1883, he left Sien and the children.

Poverty likely forced Sien back into prostitution, leading to an unhappy home environment. Van Gogh may have felt that family life was incompatible with his artistic development. Sien gave her daughter to her mother and entrusted her baby Willem to her brother. Willem later recalled visiting Rotterdam at the age of 12 when an uncle attempted to convince Sien to marry and legitimize the child. Although Willem believed van Gogh was his father, the timing of his birth makes this unlikely. Sien tragically drowned herself in the River Scheldt in 1904.

In September 1883, van Gogh relocated to Drenthe in the northern Netherlands. However, driven by loneliness, he eventually moved back to live with his parents in Nuenen, North Brabant in December.

Vincent van Gogh, The Potato Eaters, 1885. Oil on canvas, 82×114 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Early works of Vincent van Gogh

The earliest known artworks of Vincent van Gogh consist of a collection of paintings and drawings created when he was 27 and 28 years old, specifically in 1881 and 1882. During this two-year period, van Gogh resided in various locations. He left Brussels, where he had been studying for approximately a year in 1881, and returned to his parents' home in Etten, located in North Brabant. It was in Etten that he made studies of the town's residents. In January 1882, van Gogh traveled to The Hague, where he received instruction from his cousin-in-law Anton Mauve and established a studio with Mauve's financial support. Throughout Vincent's artistic career from 1881 to 1890, his brother Theo would consistently serve as a source of inspiration and financial assistance, starting in 1880 when Theo funded Vincent's stay in Brussels.

In 1882, van Gogh received a commission for paintings of The Hague. However, the paintings, which are now regarded as masterpieces, were not deemed acceptable at the time. Initially, van Gogh primarily focused on drawing and painting with watercolors. It was under Mauve's guidance that van Gogh started working with oils in 1882. One particular subject that captivated van Gogh was the working class and peasant life, drawing inspiration from the works of artists like Jean-François Millet and others.

Vincent van Gogh, Vincent's room in Arles, 1888. Oil on canvas, 72.4×91.3 cm. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Nuenen and Antwerp

During his time in Nuenen, van Gogh dedicated himself to painting and drawing. He would work outdoors at a rapid pace, swiftly completing sketches and paintings of weavers and their cottages. One notable artwork he created during this period was "The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen," which unfortunately was stolen from the Singer Laren museum in March 2020. In August 1884, van Gogh's relationship with Margot Begemann, a neighbor's daughter who was ten years older than him, deepened as she joined him on his artistic outings. Though he reciprocated her love, his enthusiasm was not as strong. They desired to marry, but their families disapproved. In a state of distress, Margot took an overdose of strychnine, but van Gogh rushed her to a nearby hospital, saving her life. Tragically, on March 26, 1885, van Gogh's father passed away from a heart attack.

Throughout 1885, van Gogh painted several collections of still lifes. During his two-year stay in Nuenen, he produced numerous drawings, watercolors, and almost 200 oil paintings. His palette primarily consisted of subdued earth tones, particularly dark brown, devoid of the vibrant colors that would come to characterize his later works. There was early interest in his art from a dealer in Paris in 1885, prompting Theo to inquire if van Gogh had paintings ready for exhibition. In response, van Gogh presented his first major work, "The Potato Eaters," along with a series of "peasant character studies." These works represented the culmination of several years of artistic development. However, when van Gogh expressed frustration that Theo wasn't making sufficient efforts to sell his paintings in Paris, his brother remarked that they were too dark and not in line with the bright style of Impressionism. In August, van Gogh's artwork was publicly exhibited for the first time in the shop windows of the dealer Leurs in The Hague. It is worth noting that one of the young peasant models he painted became pregnant in September 1885. Van Gogh was accused of having forced himself upon her, leading the village priest to forbid parishioners from posing as models for him.

In November of that year, he relocated to Antwerp and rented a room above a paint dealer's shop on rue des Images (Lange Beeldekensstraat). Van Gogh found himself living in poverty, barely able to afford proper meals. He chose to prioritize spending the money his brother Theo sent him on painting materials and models instead. His diet consisted mainly of bread, coffee, and tobacco. By February 1886, van Gogh confessed to Theo that he could only recall having six hot meals since the previous May. His dental health suffered, with loose and painful teeth.

During his time in Antwerp, van Gogh immersed himself in the study of color theory and frequently visited museums, particularly studying the works of Peter Paul Rubens. He expanded his palette to incorporate vibrant hues such as carmine, cobalt blue, and emerald green. Van Gogh also acquired Japanese ukiyo-e woodcuts in the docklands, which later influenced the background elements in some of his paintings. However, he fell back into heavy drinking habits and was hospitalized between February and March 1886, during which time he may have also received treatment for syphilis.

Following his recovery, despite his disdain for academic teachings, van Gogh sat for the higher-level admission exams at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and officially enrolled in painting and drawing classes in January 1886. However, he soon experienced declining health due to overwork, a poor diet, and excessive smoking. Van Gogh began attending drawing classes that focused on plaster models at the Antwerp Academy on January 18, 1886. However, he encountered difficulties with Charles Verlat, the academy director and his painting instructor, due to his unconventional painting style. Van Gogh also had clashes with Franz Vinck, the instructor of the drawing class. Eventually, he started attending drawing classes featuring antique plaster models provided by Eugène Siberdt. Conflict arose between Siberdt and van Gogh when the latter did not conform to Siberdt's requirement for drawings to emphasize contours and line work. When van Gogh was instructed to draw the Venus de Milo during a class, he instead produced the naked torso of a Flemish peasant woman without limbs. Siberdt considered this an act of defiance and forcefully corrected van Gogh's drawing with his crayon, tearing the paper in the process. Enraged, van Gogh shouted at Siberdt, expressing his frustration. According to some accounts, this incident marked the end of van Gogh's attendance at the academy, and he later departed for Paris.

On March 31, 1886, approximately a month after the confrontation with Siberdt, the academy teachers decided that 17 students, including van Gogh, needed to repeat a year. Therefore, the claim that van Gogh was expelled from the academy by Siberdt is unfounded.

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889. Oil on canvas, 60×49 cm. Courtauld Gallery, London.

Paris 

In March 1886, Van Gogh relocated to Paris and shared an apartment with his brother Theo on rue Laval in Montmartre. He also enrolled in Fernand Cormon's studio for further artistic study. In June, the brothers moved to a larger flat at 54 rue Lepic. During his time in Paris, Van Gogh painted portraits of friends and acquaintances, still lifes, and various scenes around the city, including Le Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre, Asnières, and the Seine.

In Antwerp in 1885, Van Gogh developed an interest in Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints and adorned the walls of his studio with them. While in Paris, he amassed a collection of hundreds of these prints and attempted to incorporate their style, known as Japonaiserie, into his own work. He traced a figure from a reproduction on the cover of the magazine Paris Illustré, The Courtesan or Oiran (1887) by Keisai Eisen, and then enlarged it in a graphic painting.

After encountering Adolphe Monticelli's portrait at the Galerie Delareybarette, Van Gogh adopted a brighter palette and a bolder technique in his paintings, such as his Seascape at Saintes-Maries (1888). Two years later, Vincent and Theo financed the publication of a book featuring Monticelli's artwork, and Vincent acquired some of Monticelli's pieces to add to his own collection.

Van Gogh learned about Fernand Cormon's atelier through Theo and spent time there in April and May 1886. It was there that he became acquainted with Australian artist John Russell, who painted a portrait of him. Van Gogh also met fellow students Émile Bernard, Louis Anquetin, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who created a pastel portrait of him. They frequently gathered at Julien "Père" Tanguy's paint shop, the only place where Paul Cézanne's paintings were exhibited at the time. In 1886, two significant exhibitions were held at the shop, showcasing Pointillism and Neo-Impressionism for the first time and bringing attention to artists like Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. Although Theo displayed Impressionist paintings in his gallery on boulevard Montmartre, it took Van Gogh some time to fully embrace these new artistic developments.

Conflicts arose between the brothers, and by the end of 1886, Theo found living with Vincent nearly unbearable. However, their relationship improved early in 1887, and Vincent moved to Asnières, a suburb of Paris, where he became acquainted with Paul Signac. He began incorporating elements of Pointillism into his work, a technique that involved applying numerous small dots of color to the canvas, which would blend together optically when viewed from a distance. This style emphasized the vibrancy of complementary colors, including blue and orange, creating striking contrasts.

While residing in Asnières, Van Gogh focused on painting various scenes such as parks, restaurants, and the Seine. One notable artwork from this period is "Bridges across the Seine at Asnières." In November 1887, Vincent and Theo formed a friendship with Paul Gauguin, who had recently arrived in Paris. Towards the end of that year, Vincent organized an exhibition at the Grand-Bouillon Restaurant du Chalet, located at 43 avenue de Clichy in Montmartre. The exhibition featured works by Bernard, Anquetin, and possibly Toulouse-Lautrec. According to Bernard's account, the exhibition surpassed anything else in Paris at the time. It was during this exhibition that Bernard and Anquetin sold their first paintings, and Van Gogh exchanged artworks with Gauguin. These artistic discussions extended beyond the exhibition, involving notable visitors such as Camille Pissarro, his son Lucien, Signac, and Seurat.

Feeling fatigued by the demands of city life, Van Gogh left Paris in February 1888 after spending two years there. During his time in the city, he produced over 200 paintings. Just before his departure, accompanied by Theo, he visited Seurat in his studio, marking his first and only encounter with the artist.

Vincent van Gogh, Almond blossom, 1890. Oil on canvas, 73.5×92 cm. Vincent van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Arles

Due to his declining health caused by excessive drinking and smoker's cough, Van Gogh sought solace in the town of Arles in February 1888. He had thoughts of establishing an art colony in the area and was accompanied by the Danish artist Christian Mourier-Petersen for two months. Initially, Arles appeared exotic to him, and he described it as a foreign country, filled with intriguing elements such as Zouaves (French infantry), brothels, and the local Arlésienne girl on her First Communion. The people, including the priest, appeared unfamiliar and almost alien to him.

Van Gogh's time in Arles marked a highly productive period, during which he created around 200 paintings and over 100 drawings and watercolors. He was captivated by the local countryside and the unique quality of light, resulting in artworks characterized by vibrant yellow, ultramarine, and mauve tones. His subjects ranged from harvest scenes and wheat fields to various landmarks in the rural surroundings. Notably, he exchanged seven canvases, including "The Old Mill" (1888), with fellow artists Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, and Charles Laval.

The portrayal of Arles in Van Gogh's artworks reflects his Dutch background, with flat and perspective-lacking landscapes featuring colorful patchworks of fields and avenues. In March 1888, he experimented with a gridded "perspective frame" technique in his landscape paintings, some of which were exhibited at the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. Van Gogh also interacted with other artists during his time in Arles, including American artist Dodge MacKnight and Belgian painter Eugène Boch.

On May 1, 1888, Van Gogh signed a lease for the eastern wing of the Yellow House at 2 place Lamartine, where he planned to establish a gallery to showcase his work. Although the rooms were initially unfurnished, he used the space as his studio. Van Gogh produced several significant paintings during this period, such as "Van Gogh's Chair," "Bedroom in Arles," "The Night Café," "Café Terrace at Night," "Starry Night Over the Rhone," and "Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers," all intended for the decoration of the Yellow House.

In "The Night Café," Van Gogh aimed to convey the idea that the café is a place where one can self-destruct, lose sanity, or even commit a crime. In June, during a visit to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, he provided art lessons to a Zouave second lieutenant named Paul-Eugène Milliet and painted scenes of boats and the village. He also developed a friendship with Eugène Boch, leading to reciprocal visits between the two artists in July.

Vincent van Gogh, The Cafe Terrace On The Place du Forum, Arles, 1888. Oil on canvas, 81×65.5 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo.

 Van Gogh and Gauguin

When Paul Gauguin agreed to visit Arles in 1888, Van Gogh saw it as an opportunity for friendship and the realization of his vision for an artists' collective. In anticipation of Gauguin's arrival, Van Gogh painted four versions of Sunflowers in just one week. He expressed his desire to decorate their shared studio with large Sunflowers, hoping to create an inspiring environment for their artistic collaboration.

During Eugène Boch's subsequent visit, Van Gogh painted a portrait of him and also created the study The Poet Against a Starry Sky. In preparation for Gauguin's stay, Van Gogh followed the advice of Joseph Roulin, the postal supervisor at the station, and purchased two beds. On September 17, he spent his first night in the still sparsely furnished Yellow House.

When Gauguin agreed to live and work in Arles with Van Gogh, they embarked on the ambitious project of creating the Décoration for the Yellow House, which was Van Gogh's most ambitious undertaking. As part of this project, Van Gogh completed two paintings: Van Gogh's Chair and Gauguin's Chair.

After persistent requests from Van Gogh, Gauguin arrived in Arles on October 23, and in November, they began painting together. Gauguin portrayed Van Gogh in his painting The Painter of Sunflowers, while Van Gogh created paintings from memory based on Gauguin's suggestions. One of these "imaginative" paintings is Memory of the Garden at Etten. Their first collaborative outdoor endeavor took place at the Alyscamps, resulting in the creation of the complementary paintings Les Alyscamps. The only painting Gauguin completed during his visit was his portrait of Van Gogh.

In December 1888, Van Gogh and Gauguin visited Montpellier, where they had the opportunity to view artworks by Courbet and Delacroix at the Musée Fabre. However, their relationship started to deteriorate. Van Gogh greatly admired Gauguin and desired equal treatment, but Gauguin's arrogance and domineering nature caused frustration for Van Gogh. They frequently quarreled, and Van Gogh began to fear that Gauguin would abandon him. The situation reached a point of "excessive tension," pushing their relationship towards a crisis.

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night over the Rhone, 1888. Oil on canvas, 72.5×92 cm. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

Hospital in Arles

The events surrounding the mutilation of Van Gogh's ear remain unclear. According to Gauguin, there were instances of threatening behavior leading up to the incident. The relationship between the two artists was complex, and financial tensions may have played a role. It is believed that Van Gogh sensed Gauguin's intention to leave, and they found themselves confined to the Yellow House due to heavy rain. Gauguin claimed that Van Gogh followed him with a razor in hand, but this account is not corroborated, as Gauguin was likely not present that night.

On the evening of December 23, 1888, after an altercation, Van Gogh returned to his room and partially or completely severed his left ear with a razor. He then wrapped the ear in paper and delivered it to a woman at a brothel they both frequented. Van Gogh was discovered unconscious the next morning and taken to the hospital, where he was treated by Dr. Félix Rey. However, too much time had passed for the ear to be reattached. The woman named Gabrielle, who received the ear, was later identified as a 17-year-old cleaning girl at the brothel.

Van Gogh had no memory of the event, suggesting a possible acute mental breakdown. He was diagnosed with acute mania and delirium, and the local police ordered his hospitalization. Gauguin informed Theo, who arrived in Arles on Christmas Day to comfort his brother. During Van Gogh's treatment, he repeatedly asked for Gauguin, who had already left for Paris, never to see Van Gogh again. They continued to correspond, and Gauguin even proposed the idea of forming a studio together in Antwerp.

After his recovery, Van Gogh returned to the Yellow House but suffered from hallucinations and delusions. In March 1889, his house was closed due to a petition describing him as "the redheaded madman," and he returned to the hospital. In April, he moved into rooms owned by Dr. Rey. Two months later, Van Gogh voluntarily entered an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He experienced periods of intense anguish and moments when the fabric of time and circumstances seemed to unravel.

Van Gogh gave his Portrait of Doctor Félix Rey to Dr. Rey, who did not appreciate the painting and used it to repair a chicken coop before giving it away. As of 2016, the portrait was housed in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and valued at over $50 million.

Saint-Rémy 

Van Gogh entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in May 1889, accompanied by his caregiver, Frédéric Salles. The asylum, located near Arles, was run by Dr. Théophile Peyron. Van Gogh had two cells, one of which he used as a studio. The clinic and its garden became the subjects of many of his paintings, including studies of the interiors and gardens. Some of his works during this time featured swirling brushstrokes, such as "The Starry Night." He also painted landscapes of cypresses, olive trees, and country roads. Van Gogh created multiple versions of "Bedroom in Arles" and "The Gardener." Due to limited access to the outside world, he turned to interpretations of other artists' works, including pieces by Millet and Courbet. One of his paintings, "Prisoners' Round," was based on an engraving by Gustave Doré. Between February and April 1890, Van Gogh experienced a severe relapse but was still able to produce some artwork. He asked his mother and brother to send him old sketches, which he used as inspiration for new paintings. One notable piece from this time is "Sorrowing Old Man ('At Eternity's Gate')." Despite his struggles, Van Gogh's late paintings demonstrated his artistic skill and a desire for simplicity and elegance. He also created a painting of white almond blossoms against a blue sky, intended for his newborn nephew. 

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Straw Hat, Summer 1887. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Death

On July 27, 1890, at the age of 37, Van Gogh is believed to have shot himself in the chest with a 7 mm Lefaucheux pinfire revolver. There were no witnesses to the incident, and he died 30 hours later. The exact location of the shooting is uncertain, with possibilities including a wheat field or a local barn. The bullet passed through his chest without causing significant damage to internal organs, likely stopped by his spine after being deflected by a rib. Van Gogh managed to walk back to the Auberge Ravoux, where he received medical attention from two doctors. However, as there was no surgeon present, the bullet could not be removed. The doctors did what they could for him and left him alone in his room. The next morning, Van Gogh's brother Theo arrived and found him in good spirits. However, Vincent's health quickly deteriorated, likely due to an untreated infection from the wound. He passed away in the early hours of July 29. According to Theo, Van Gogh's last words were, "The sadness will last forever." Van Gogh was buried on July 30 in Auvers-sur-Oise, with Theo, family members, friends, and locals in attendance. Theo's health declined further after Vincent's death, and he passed away on January 25, 1891. In 1914, Theo's body was exhumed and reburied next to Vincent's in Auvers-sur-Oise.

Van Gogh's mental health has been a subject of debate, and various retrospective diagnoses have been proposed. The consensus is that he had an episodic condition with periods of normal functioning. Bipolar disorder has been suggested, as well as acute intermittent porphyria and temporal lobe epilepsy. Regardless of the diagnosis, Van Gogh's condition was likely exacerbated by factors such as malnutrition, overwork, insomnia, and alcohol.

The gun believed to have been used by Van Gogh was discovered in 1965 and was sold at an auction in 2019 as "the most famous weapon in art history." It fetched a price of €162,500, significantly surpassing expectations.

Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers (series), 1888-1889. Oil on canvas, various collocations.

Top 3 artworks by Van Gogh

Sunflowers (Van Gogh series)

The paintings known as Sunflowers were created by Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch artist, in two separate series. The first series was painted in Paris in 1887 and depicted the sunflowers lying on the ground. The second series, made a year later in Arles, showcased a bouquet of sunflowers placed in a vase. Van Gogh connected both sets of paintings through his friend Paul Gauguin, who acquired two of the Paris versions. Van Gogh intended to impress Gauguin with the Sunflowers paintings when he visited Van Gogh's home in Arles. The Arles versions became part of the painted Décoration for the Yellow House, specifically prepared for the guestroom where Gauguin was expected to stay. After Gauguin left, Van Gogh envisioned the two main versions as wings of a triptych called the Berceuse Triptych. Eventually, he included the Sunflowers paintings in his Les XX exhibition in Brussels. 

Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night, 1889. oleograph on canvas, 73.7×92.1 cm. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

The Starry Night

The Starry Night is a famous oil-on-canvas painting created by Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter. Painted in June 1889, it portrays the view from Van Gogh's room in the asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, looking out of the east-facing window just before sunrise. The painting includes an imaginary village in the scene. Since 1941, it has been part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, obtained through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. Widely considered as Van Gogh's masterpiece, The Starry Night is an iconic artwork in Western art history, recognized by many for its distinctive style and imagery. 

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1889. Oil on canvas, 65×54 cm. Orsay Museum, Paris.

Van Gogh self-portrait (1889)

In September 1889, the renowned Dutch Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh created a self-portrait using oil paints on canvas. This particular artwork, believed to be one of his final self-portraits, was completed just before he departed from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in the southern region of France. The painting is currently housed at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.